Rebuilding the U.S. Labor Market: Putting Ideas into Action

Imagine a world where employers recognize the potential of people and value their skills, no matter how those skills were acquired. In this world, college can be a bridge to opportunity for millions of people, but it would no longer be a “drawbridge” closing off opportunity to those who lack a four-year degree, but who possess proven skills that many companies desperately need. 

In this world, there are many paths to skills, skilled workers get a fair shot at better jobs, their families and communities benefit from rising incomes and role models of advancement through work, and companies get employees who contribute to solving problems as America rebuilds. 

Before the pandemic, millions of Americans were already locked out of better paying jobs simply because they lacked a four-year degree. Now, these workers, a.k.a. STARs (talented individuals Skilled Through Alternative Routes), aren’t just getting locked out of better jobs; many of them are unemployed -- which is a detrimental loss for employers who desperately need to rebuild. 

How can we rebuild the US labor market better? Well, that’s some of our most vital work ahead! 

From micro-pathways to new investments to upskill workers for the jobs of the future, the latest "Opportunity Wrap" by Opportunity@Work’s Martin Evelyn highlights three promising approaches: an argument for community colleges to embrace micro-credentialing; more evidence of the case for upskilling workers; and a new SkillUp Coalition grant fund to help 30,000 STARs displaced by the pandemic to find new pathways to skilled jobs of the future.  

• Kathleen deLaski and Rufus Glasper argue traditional community college programs aren’t giving students work-ready skills fast enough to set them up for career success. They recommend that community colleges create micro-pathways and shorter training programs which build worker skills, to best prepare workers for the evolving labor market. buff.ly/2Nmicqk
• More economists are warning that millions of jobs lost during the pandemic, especially low-wage jobs in the retail, hospitality, and food services industries, may never come back. Without significant investments in upskilling, this will leave many workers permanently displaced. buff.ly/3dv74SQ
• SkillUp Coalition in partnership with Jobs for the Future, Opportunity@Work, Social Finance, and Stand Together announce the SkillUp Together Fund, which will offer grants to 30,000 workers displaced by the COVID pandemic. This fund will cover the cost of training, equipment, and wrap-around services. buff.ly/2ZIWWxB

This is just a start, but if we rewire our labor market now -- connecting millions of STARs to jobs with employers that need skilled talent -- we can rebuild our economy better.

All the best,

Byron